Zoro's Promise
by matcha-sama
Summary: After the sudden death of their mother, four year old Ace and three year old Luffy have to go and live with their relatives. Despite their wishes to stay together, none of their relatives can take both of them in. Tired of the bullshit, a certain green haired swordsman steps in. Family fic. Eventual ZoSan. Rated T for Zoro and Sanji's vocabulary, mostly. Rating may be bumped up.
1. Chapter 1: The Prologue

A/N: Inspired by a Japanese drama I like. Will grow to be a multi-chapter fic, but I'm not sure how many chapters it'll be. Will definitely take a while to complete. Apologies for the inaccuracies later on, as I don't actually know what police work entails. I hope you like it! 

Zoro pocketed his phone and slid open the door to the bar, and walked in. The familiar atmosphere of the Japanese bar greeted him, and the murmur of conversation was nearly nonexistent, as most of the patrons sat alone. A woman sat at the counter, her dark shoulder-length hair hiding her face, but Zoro recognized her immediately. Smirking, he approached her, and took a seat next to her.

"Hey." he greeted quietly. The woman didn't look up, but smiled down at her scotch.

"You're late. Did you get lost?" she asked teasingly. Zoro rolled his eyes.

"Shut up." he muttered.

"You did, didn't you?" she snickered. She looked up, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Kuina took a sip of her drink. Zoro sighed, and waved over the bartender, and ordered a sake.

"So how have you been?" Kuina asked, her mocking behavior falling away. Zoro shrugged.

"Fine."

"What are you doing now? Are you still wandering around teaching kendo or something?" Kuina asked with a quirk of her eyebrow. Zoro shook his head.

"That didn't last long. Became a cop." Zoro said. Kuina's eyebrows rose further.

"No kidding? You? An upholder of the law? A protector of citizens?" she asked sarcastically, disbelieving. Zoro snorted.

"Nah. But the coffee's pretty good." he said with a grin, and Kuina laughed.

"So how's being an ally of justice, then?" she asked.

The bartender brought over the small pitcher of sake, and the accompanying cup. Zoro thanked him, before turning back to Kuina.

"Pretty good, actually." he said, filling the small cup and downing the drink.

"Really? No asshole coworkers? No corrupt supervisors?" she questioned seriously.

"Nah. The guys are great and Smoker's pretty laid back when there aren't any criminals to apprehend." Zoro said with a shrug.

"And Smoker is...?"

"The captain. He actually has one of the highest numbers of wanted criminal arrests in the country. No one knows what he's doing in a small town like this."

"Wow." Kuina murmured, impressed.

"Yeah." Zoro agreed. He poured himself another cup of sake. "So what about you?"

"Hm?"

"How have you been? I haven't seen you in - what is it - like, two years? How are those kids of yours doing?" At the mention of her children, Kuina grinned. She downed the rest of her scotch as she reached into her pocket, and fished out her phone. She fiddled with it for a while, before showing it to Zoro with a proud look on her face.

On the screen were two boys, both with black, unkempt hair, and the same wide grin plastered on their faces. The older one had freckles dotting his cheeks, and his hair was a little more wavy. The younger one had a scar below his left eye and a too-big straw hat on his head. Dressed in swim trunks, they were posing in front of a sandcastle that Zoro assumed they constructed themselves. He smiled, and took the phone to get a better look.

"How old are they now? Last I remember, they were in diapers and the younger one was trying to eat stuff off the floor." Zoro swiped to the next picture, and it was another picture of the two kids, this time, on a swingset at a park.

"Ace is four, and Luffy is three." Kuina replied, peering at the screen and smiling. "They're growing so fast. Ace is going to start school in the fall." Zoro looked at her in surprise.

"No kidding? That's...Wow." He chuckled, and swiped across the screen again. It was yet another picture of the two boys, petting a small fluffy dog. Swiping further, Zoro found a seemingly endless string of pictures of Ace and Luffy.

"You know, you're what they call 'oyabaka'(1)." he said with a laugh, handing her her phone. Kuina beamed.

"Of course I am. How can I not be?" she responded mock-haughtily as she pocketed it.

"Where are they tonight?" Zoro asked, sipping his sake.

"With Father. They have sleepovers there a lot, actually. They love the open space of the dojo, and Father lets them run around as they please as long as they don't cause too much harm. He spoils them." she said with an amused sigh.

"He does seem like the spoiling-grandfather type." Zoro agreed chuckling. "Speaking of which, how's he doing? Koushirou, I mean." Kuina shook her head.

"Father is stubborn as ever, really. He refuses to stop teaching. I told him it's high time he retired from it, but..." She shrugged. "He doesn't listen. As expected, I guess." Zoro hummed softly.

"Sounds like he hasn't actually changed much, then."

"Graying hair is about all that's different. Still the dedicated teacher." Kuina looked at Zoro. "You should visit us sometime. I'm sure Father would love to have you teach a class or two." Zoro chuckled.

"I'll keep it in mind." he said, finishing off his sake.

They of them ordered more to drink, and the two of them spent the rest of the evening talking and reminiscing. It was early morning when the two got around to saying their goodbyes, and went their separate ways, promising to meet up again soon.

A/N: I realize that this first chapter isn't exactly telling you anything about the actual story, but if you are patient with me, I promise this is going somewhere. (Eventually.)

So the strange word that pops up:

1.) 'oyabaka' is a Japanese term, which literally translated, means 'stupid parent'. It actually means a parent who is obsessed with their child and the child's well being and thinks their child is #1. I suppose this applies to all parents to an extent, but 'oyabaka' is something of an extreme case.

In this, of course, Zoro is just kind of teasing. Sorry for the shit explanation.

Anyway, yes, this will be a family-type fic where Ace and Luffy are kids, but this is all working up to eventual ZoSan and stuff. I promise.


	2. Chapter 2: The Accident

A/N: I am honestly stunned by the fact that people actually are looking forward to how this story progresses. I can only hope I can meet your expectations. Reviews are much appreciated, so I know what you guys think of this. Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Zoro awoke the next morning without so much as a hangover. Which was no surprise, if he was honest, since he'd only drank a bottle or two of sake last night. He checked his phone, and finding that it was already 8:50, he got out of bed with a groan. He had to be at work by 9:15, and it took him a quarter of an hour to get there. That gave him about 10 minutes to get ready and, if he was lucky, eat breakfast.

Zoro padded around his small apartment, stripping his sweatpants off while sticking some leftover Chinese takeout into the microwave and setting it to warm for two minutes on low. He rushed to the bathroom, and showered quickly. He dried himself, and got dressed in his suit and made sure he looked decent, before throwing a glance over his shoulder at the clock. 8:54. He ate his breakfast as quickly as he could without choking on it, and then hurried back to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, and deeming himself acceptable, he gathered his paperwork, put it in a manila folder, and headed out the door, jogging down the stairs that led to the small restaurant he lived above.

The restaurant was called the Baratie, and it was owned by an old man with a prosthetic leg, a strange mustache, and a short temper, named Zeff Kuroashi. In all honesty, when Zoro had first come across this restaurant, he had thought twice about inquiring about renting the room upstairs. Zeff was rude, blunt, stubborn, and swore like a sailor. It was a mystery how this place even had customers, considering the kitchen staff weren't all that different from Zeff. But somehow, the Baratie had a welcoming atmosphere to it, and there were customers who came back regularly despite the boisterous employees.

The restaurant was on the smaller side, and Zoro often wondered why Zeff didn't renovate or move. He certainly had enough money for it. The building itself was old, and the doors were wooden sliding ones, with a rectangular panel of glass passing through the middle of it horizontally. Inside were several tables for two that were against the left wall. The rest of the room was taken up by a long 'L' shaped counter that jutted out from the back right corner, making a bar like place the customers could sit at while Zeff worked behind it. There was ample space behind the counter for at least three people to work simultaneously during rush hour, but the other staff mostly kept to the back kitchen, supposedly out of earshot from the customers. It was a rather homely restaurant. In the back was the stairs that led up to Zoro's apartment, and the doorway that led to Zeff's living area.

After a relatively short discussion, Zoro and Zeff had been able to reach a settlement, and Zoro moved into the apartment shortly thereafter. The rent was cheap, and the location was pretty good. It had been a very reasonable deal.

Zoro entered the restaurant and made his way to the front as quietly and as quickly as possible. The Baratie didn't open for breakfast, so Zeff took the time in the morning to prepare for the day's lunch and dinner rush, and the man hated to be disturbed by anyone who wasn't of his kitchen staff.

"Oi, green haired punk." Zeff's rough voice called from the back. Zoro stopped, and turned to look over at him.

"What?"

"Off to work?"

"Yes...?"

"Hm." Zeff hummed noncommittally. "Take that with you." he said, nodding towards the counter, where a brown paper bag and a cup of coffee, the lid securely snapped on. Zoro peered into the bag, and found two sandwiches - egg, ham, tomato, and lettuce between a warm toasted english muffin.

"Thanks, Zeff." Zoro called over his shoulder. Zeff snorted disparagingly, and Zoro took that as his cue to leave.

On his way to work, Zoro had happily drank the coffee. Freshly ground coffee was so much better than the instant shit that he was used to getting in the breakroom at work, there was really no comparison. Feeling more energized, he walked into the office, and greeted his coworkers. Chaka and Pell were already there, diligently working on their reports at their desk.

"Cutting it close, Roronoa. Woke up late again?" Chaka asked with a smirk. Zoro grinned as he shrugged off his jacket and hung it upon the coat rack beside his desk.

"Forgot to set my alarm. I was out late last night." he said, taking a seat at his desk and pulling out the his own report from the folder. He finished it up, and looked it over, before going to Smoker's office to submit it.

"Sir?" he called, knocking on the doorway as the door was wide open. The captain looked up, and waved Zoro in. Smoker held his hand out, not looking away from his laptop as he scrolled down the screen with one hand. Zoro placed his report in the outstretched hand, and Smoker tore his eyes away from the screen long enough to briefly check over the paper.

"Good." he grunted, and dropped it to his desk for further inspection later. "I need you to go to Syrup Street, and take care of some witness statements to a motoricycle accident. Hit and run, apparently. Forensics and paramedics are there now. Take Chaka with you." Smoker said, leaning back in his chair. "And come back with coffee."

"Yes, sir." Zoro said with a grin, and exited the office. "Chaka, I'm gonna need to borrow you for a bit. Motorcycle accident, hit and run, on Syrup Street." he said, grabbing his jacket from off the rack.

"Right." Chaka murmured, and got up, putting his report to the side for the time being. "I'm driving, right? Who knows how lost you'll get us if I don't." he teased, and Pell chuckled quietly, while Zoro snorted and flipped him off.

"Fuck you, Chaka. I know where we're going." Zoro said.

True to his word, Zoro got the two of them to Syrup Street in a reasonable amount of time. Chaka was obviously impressed.

"Amazing, Roronoa. There's one street you can actually locate." He grinned wolfishly, and Zoro rolled his eyes. He parked the car by the yellow tape that bordered the scene of the accident. The two of them got out, were allowed in by the officers standing guard at the tape, and began taking in the crime scene - crosswalk, where the forensics guys were gathered, with skidded tire tracks leading away from the intersection, single tire mark sets. Paramedics had called in the coroner, so apparently, the victim of the accident hadn't made it. There were a group of bystanders huddled at the yellow tape, and Zoro walked over.  
"My name is Detective Roronoa, and I'm looking for anyone who witnessed the accident. Anyone?" he asked. Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"The guy on the motorcycle ran a red light." one teenager piped up.

"He hit her when he was turning right, and just kept going." another added.

"He had a helmet on, so we couldn't see his face." a middle aged woman said.

"Can you give us a description? Height, build... things like that?" Zoro asked, and several people nodded. Zoro waved Chaka over. "Take down the profile of the guy, confirm it, send it to the captain." he said in a low voice. Chaka nodded.

"Sure thing." He turned to the assimilation of people there. "So! Who can tell me about our motorcyclist?"

Leaving Chaka to it, Zoro sighed, and went over to the coroner, a rather short man in a too long white coat, with a yellow suit underneath, and matching gloves. He was writing things down on a clipboard, a stretcher with the body bag resting on it, sitting before him.

"Detective Roronoa." Zoro said briefly showing his ID before pocketing it again. "What can you tell me about our victim?"

"She appears to be in her late twenties to early thirties." Saldeath said.

"Appears to be? Don't we have an ID on our vic?" Zoro questioned, concerned. If she turned out to be a Jane Doe, it would make his job a hell of a lot harder. The short man sighed.

"Well, we're supposed to, but that may take a while, considering her purse was probably flung into the storm drain when she was hit. Basically saying we have no way to identify the victim or notify her family." he muttered. "The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. From what we've gathered, she was crossing the street when a motorcyclist ran a red light and hit her. She hit her head against the curb as she fell, resulting most certainly an instant death." Saldeath explained.

"Alright, I'll get a team to go and attempt to retrieve her purse from the storm drain." Zoro said, dragging a hand over his face.

"It probably won't help much. I'm sure you're aware of how much it's been raining recently. The water must have carried it away by now." Saldeath said flatly, and Zoro groaned. The short bastard was probably right.

"Right, fine, get some photos of this Jane Doe and send it to Smoker." he said. Saldeath looked at him, irritated, and thrust a camera from the forensics unit into his hands.

"Do it yourself." the man muttered, and unzipped the body bag to reveal the victim's face.

With an irritated sigh, Zoro turned to focus on the victim, and raised the camera, ready to simply snap a few photos and get on with it. But when he recognized just who the victim was, his heart stopped. After all, there was no mistaking a face he had known for years. He lowered the camera, earning an unnoticed strange look from Saldeath.

"There's no need to search for her purse. I know her." Zoro said, his voice small. His chest felt tight, and he couldn't seem to draw in a breath. Saldeath's eyebrows shot up. "Age 33, blood type B, lives in a condo on West Blue, mother of two," Zoro swallowed. "Kuina Toyoshima."

* * *

A/N: So you all saw that coming, right? I mean, it was in the summary. I guess this was more introductory stuff than anything else. I'm sorry. I think I should have put this in the first chapter, but I thought it might be kind of overwhelming or too much stuff to throw at once or something. I don't know. I hope it was okay. And I hope I didn't disappoint you guys too much.

Also, concerning Kuina's last name, I couldn't find it on the wiki, so I just used the seiyuu's last name. Sorry for being uncreative.


	3. Chapter 3: The Funeral and Separation

The ride back to the station was short and silent, with Chaka at the wheel. Zoro had stayed long enough to give all the information needed about Kuina - address, family contact details, and such things - before leaving the scene. The expression he wore was blank, but tight, his shoulders unnaturally tense.

When they arrived back at the station, Zoro walked over to his desk slowly, and sat down, staring down at the new paperwork laid out before him. He distantly heard Chaka explaining what had happened to Smoker, and the captain's heavy sigh. The man approached Zoro, who remained still at his desk.

"Roronoa, take the day off." Smoker said, his voice quiet. Zoro's head snapped up, his eyes meeting Smoker's.

"That won't be necessary, sir." he replied evenly. Smoker quirked an eyebrow.

"She was a close friend of yours, right? It's normal to be shaken up you know." the captain muttered, lighting a cigar and puffing on it. Zoro chuckled softly, shaking his head, and looked down at his hands in his lap.

"I'm fine, Captain. Thank you for your concern, but it's really not necessary." He took a deep breath, opened his laptop, and started typing up his report, pointedly ignoring Chaka, Pell, and Smoker staring at him. With a sigh, Smoker went back into his office, and the two other men got back to work. They were all aware that Zoro was stubborn and hated being treated as though he were weak. So they let him be.

Zoro managed to get through the rest of the day without any trouble. He finished a little later than expected though- having had to help a kid find her runaway dog.

He left the station, and walked home, his pace slow. He stopped once he reached the front of the Baratie, stared up at his dark windows for a while, and sighed heavily, before turning on heel, and walking further up the street. Loosening his tie, he took slow, measured breaths, and ran his hand through his hair. He wandered aimlessly for a while, turning every other corner, continuing down crowdless roads whenever possible.

He couldn't believe it. It just didn't seem real.

Kuina was gone. Twenty odd years of having her presence there, and now she was gone. There'd be no more matches against her, no more training with her, no more wise ass comments from her, no more making her laugh, no more going out for drinks, no more sharing jokes, no more telling stories, no more ...anything, really.

* * *

The following days passed quickly. He had gotten a call from Koushirou two days after the incident, informing him that Kuina's funeral would be in three days.

For the most part, Zoro went about his daily routine without much change. He went to work, he'd come home, he'd drink, and fall asleep. Smoker and the others were concerned about him, but no matter what they said, he'd insist that he was fine, and they couldn't do much else to make Zoro stop working.

He would forget for a while, hours at a time even, before something reminded him that his best friend was dead. The thought left him numb, and he would go about continuing what he was doing lethargically.

* * *

The day of the funeral arrived quickly, and Zoro was honestly not prepared for it. Kuina's funeral was a relatively small affair. It was a traditional Japanese funeral, as arranged by Koushirou and a family friend. The people who attended were mostly distant family, and a few coworkers who had come just long enough to pay their respects. Zoro sat at the back of the room, and remained in his seat even after the service was over. When the last few people were trickling out of the room, he went up to the front, and lit several incense sticks and stuck them in the box of sand. He pressed his hands together in prayer, brought them up, and closed his eyes.

He left after paying his respects, and headed to the large adjoining hall to speak briefly with Koushirou.

As Zoro was looking for Koushirou, a group of people talking in hushed voices caught Zoro's attention. He recognized them from the service - they were some of Kuina's relatives. He tried to ignore them, but as he passed them, he heard their conversation.

"The poor children..." a woman murmured.

"I heard that her husband ran off when the second kid was born." another said.

"I never approved of their marriage. He always seemed like the irresponsible type." a man chimed in.

"He was a delinquent from his middle school years. What did she expect?"

"She was young. She made a mistake."

"What's going to happen to the kids?" another asked, sounding concerned.

"A couple of relatives' families have to take them in."

"Honestly, why did she have two children? She should have seen that her husband didn't want more children. He could hardly handle the one. She just left more of a mess that we have to clean up after." a woman muttered, clearly annoyed.

Zoro stopped abruptly and walked over to the woman. He leaned in closely, his expression blank and voice low, but his tone speaking volumes.

"Do you think she wanted to die? And leave behind her kids? They were her pride and joy. She loved them, and it's a fucking shame that she had to leave them to stuck up, selfish assholes like you." he growled. The woman was flustered, and she couldn't meet his glare. The people around them who had also been complaining fidgeted uneasily and looked away. "And don't you fucking dare talk about her husband like he was some good-for-nothing piece of shit. You didn't know him. You don't understand anything about don't you dare talk like you know what was best for Kuina. " Zoro stalked away, furious.

How dare these fucking bastards talk like that? And they were supposed to be the ones to take Kuina's kids in? How the fuck were they supposed to take care of the kids if they didn't care about them? Did Koushirou know about this? If he knew, there was no way he'd allow this.

Most of the guests had left by the time Zoro finally spotted Koushirou, and he made his way over quickly.

"Koushirou-"

"Grandpa, I want to go home." a small voice interjected. Zoro stopped short, and watched as Koushirou leaned down, and picked up a child who had been standing by his side.

"I know, Luffy. But you have to wait a little longer, okay?" Koushirou murmured, rubbing Luffy's back soothingly. The young boy sniffed, and rubbed his eyes, but nodded.

Koushirou caught sight of Zoro and waved.

"Ah, Zoro-kun." Koushirou greeted with a sad smile. "Thank you for coming."

Zoro stared at the man, and Luffy resting on his shoulder. Koushirou had truly aged within the two years Zoro hadn't seen him, and he suspected that Kuina's death had taken it's toll on him as well.

"Not at all." Zoro said quietly.

"Grandpa, who's that?" Luffy asked suddenly, craning his neck to stare at Zoro.

"This is Zoro. He's a former student of mine, and a close friend of your mother's." Koushirou informed the child. Luffy hummed thoughtfully.

"Why is-"

"Grandpa!" a voice called loudly, accompanied by the sound of running.

"Ace? What's the matter?" Koushirou asked worriedly, crouching down. Ace stopped in front of him, his expression one of anxiousness.

"Are we being separated?" Ace demanded. Koushirou froze, and Zoro blinked. Koushirou took a breath, and sighed softly.

"Yes, you are." he admitted softly. Anger flashed over Ace's features.

"What?" Luffy asked, confused.

"You can't do that, Grandpa! We have to stay together!" Ace yelled, catching the attention of the remaining people in the hall. Koushirou sighed.

"The circumstances won't allow it. I'm sorry, Ace." he apologized. "You will be able to see each other every so often, though."

"No! We have to stay together! I'm not leaving Luffy!" Luffy scrambled out of Koushirou's arms, and ran to Ace, clinging to him.

"I understand that you want to stay together. But it's simply not possible. The families you'll be joining only have room for one child. Taking in two children is too big a responsibility." the sensei tried to explain. "Please understand."

"NO!" Ace screamed. "We don't even know them! We can't live with them!"

"Ace, Luffy, this is for the best." Koushirou said, standing.

"No it's not!" the two cried.

Ace and Luffy continued to adamantly refuse to be separated, and Luffy's cries became hysterical when the family who'd be taking him in came and picked him up. The father spoke briefly with Koushirou, while the mother held a kicking and screaming Luffy. Koushirou held onto Ace, who was equally resisting their separation. Zoro watched in silence as the younger child was carried out and into the car. The family who was taking Ace had come and the father had carried Ace out as well.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." Koushirou said, leaning back against the wall. Zoro shook his head. Koushirou sighed, and removed his glasses, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm getting old, Zoro. I will not last long taking care of the two of them, both of whom possess the energy of ten children." Koushirou murmured, answering Zoro's unspoken question. "No one was willing to take both of them in. It's understandable. The burden of financially and emotionally supporting two young children is not one that many are capable or willing to bear."

"But you didn't have to separate them so soon." Zoro said before he could stop himself. Koushirou shook his head.

"If I allow them to stay together, it would only make it harder in the end."

Zoro disagreed, but kept his mouth shut. This wasn't his place to say what was best for the kids. They weren't his. He sighed, and scratched the back of his head.

"I'd better get going." he said. Koushirou put his glasses back on, and nodded.

"Goodbye, Zoro-kun."

"Bye."

* * *

A/N: Wow, so this chapter kind of took forever to write. Sorry for the long wait for such a shitty chapter. This was hard for me to write because 1.) I wanted to give you guys who are following this (30! of you!) something of quality, and 2.) I don't actually know how if feels to lose a close friend like this, so it was hard to put into words.

I'll be totally honest and say that until I was writing this chapter, I didn't have a written plan for this story. (That was probably another reason why this chapter took so damn long...) Now that I have a proper plot written out, chapters should come out faster, but no guarantees. But I'm actually super excited to write this too, so it has a pretty good chance of getting relatively regular updates. I even have a beta to edit out my stupid mistakes!

I'd like to thank you guys so, so much for following and favoriting this story. I seriously can't believe the response I'm getting from this. There are 30 people following this story. That's like...30 more people than I expected to be interested in this thing. I was really terrified of attempting a multi-chapter fic so soon after starting posting stories, but you guys have all been so nice and I'm at a loss for words.

Thank you guys so much for reading! Reviews are very much appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4: The Runaway

To say that Luffy hated staying with his 'Aunty' would be an understatement. She wasn't exactly happy to be stuck with him either. He had spent two days crying for Ace. Her own children were complaining, and her eldest son was pestering her to get Luffy out of his room.

"I have exams to study for! I can't have some brat distracting me all the time!" he yelled.

"You have to deal with it!" she yelled back.

Down the hall, Luffy was standing with his back against the wall, his eyes downcast. He sniffled, and walked to the bathroom and locked himself in. It was the only place where he could be alone without his aunty or her kids glaring at him and shooing him away. He sat on the closed toilet seat, and wiped roughly at his eyes. He didn't want to be here. He hated it. He really hated it. He wanted to see Ace. Why couldn't he live with Ace? Why had Grandpa separated them?

Here, everyone was mean. Aunty yelled at him when he spilled his milk on the table, and all her children complained loudly too. And then Aunty would spend the rest of the day in a bad mood, snapping at him for every little thing he did. Mom would never have yelled at him. She would have just told him to be careful, wiped it up, and gotten him a new cup. Luffy sniffled and wiped roughly at his eyes, willing the tears that were coming to his eyes to subside. If Aunty heard him crying, it would only make her more angry. He choked back his sobs, and brushed away his tears. He wanted to go home. He wanted to see Ace. Ace would pat him on the head and would tell him that it was going to be okay.

"A-Ace..." he whimpered, biting his lip. "Mom..." Tears trickled down his face, and he couldn't hold back his sobs any longer. He began to cry loudly, and loud footsteps sounded coming from down the hall.

"Luffy?! Are you crying again?! Get out of the bathroom! Go sit in your room or something! Hurry up!" Aunty yelled angrily, pounding hard on the door. Luffy whimpered, but hopped down off of the toilet seat, and shuffled to the door, unlocking it. And not daring to look up at his obviously angry aunt, ran off to his shared room.

He wanted out of here. He wanted to go home.

* * *

It had been a week since the funeral. To Zoro, it felt so much longer. He was somehow managing to get back into routine at work, and he was able to stay focused on whatever task was at hand.

He was working on his report for a theft that had occurred earlier that day when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

"Hello?" he answered

"Zoro-kun" a familiar panicked voice said on the other end.

"Koushirou...?" Zoro greeted, concerned. "Is something wrong?" he asked. He had never heard the man sound so panicked.

"It's Luffy." Koushirou said, swallowing. "He's gone missing."

"He what?!" Zoro asked loudly, catching the attention of Chaka and Pell.

"I just got the phone call from his aunt. She was going to call him for lunch, but he wasn't there. None of them know how long he's been missing. The last they saw him was last night when he went to bed." Koushirou sounded absolutely terrified. "Zoro-kun...please, I can't lose-"

"Calm down. It's gonna be fine. We'll find Luffy." Zoro said, his voice confident and clear. "Give me the aunt's address, and I'll head over."

Koushirou gave Zoro the details, and the man took it all down on a slip of paper. Promising Koushirou that it would be alright, Zoro hung up and rushed to Smoker's office.

"Sir, a call just came in reporting a kid missing from a house on Conomi. His name is Luffy Toyoshima. He's three years old, and has a scar under his left eye." Smoker raised an eyebrow.

"Toyoshima? Is he a kid of that friend of yours?" he asked gruffly. Zoro nodded once. Smoker sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, send me a picture for reference and whatever else information. I'll send out Chaka and Pell to look after I brief them. Go." Smoker said, and Zoro nodded once more, and dashed out of the station.

* * *

"Koushirou!" Zoro called, jogging over to his sensei. The man turned, and Zoro saw the worry written all over his face.

"Thank you for coming, Zoro-kun." Koushirou said, bowing slightly.

"Not a problem. This is technically my job anyway." He offered a small smile, and Koushirou returned a weary one. "No sign of him yet, then?" he asked, and Koushirou shook his head.

"He's not in the area. Everyone's been looking frantically for him..." Koushirou said quietly.

"Do you have any idea where he could have gone?" Zoro asked, eyebrows knitting together. Koushirou shook his head again.

"Luffy isn't familiar with the area. It's hard to believe that he'd just wander away like that."

Zoro sighed and looked around at who he assumed to be the family that Luffy had been staying with. He recognized the mother as the woman who had been at the funeral and had referred to Kuina's kids as 'a mess that they had to clean up after'. He walked over, his demeanor already threatening. The family looked at him uncomfortably.

"I'm Detective Roronoa. Can any of you tell me why Luffy might have run off?" he asked politely. The mother looked to the side with a 'hmph'.

"Who knows? He'll come back soon, I'm sure. There's probably nothing to worry about. Right, dear?" she said to her husband, who hesitantly agreed. Zoro looked at the two with a quirked eyebrow.

"H-He probably wanted to see his brother or something." the eldest son muttered. Zoro turned his attention to him.

"What?"

"Because he was always crying for him and stuff..." he continued uncomfortably. Zoro stared at him for several long moments.

"Right. Well. A couple of my colleagues will be by shortly to collect more information, so I ask that you are cooperative."he said robotically. The mother bristled.

"Why are we being treated like there's been a crime committed? He just wandered off! There's nothing to worry about! He'll be home before dark." she said uncaringly. Something in Zoro snapped, and he took a large step towards her, and looked down at her with a murderous glare.

"You'd better fucking hope we find Luffy before dark, because if we don't, you're going to have hell to pay. I'll lock you up for child neglect and whatever else I can get you for. How the fuck do you not notice a child under your care going missing? I don't know what the fuck you think you're doing, not giving a shit about Kuina's kid who was entrusted to you, but I'm sure as hell not gonna let it continue. So you better fucking pray that Luffy didn't get too far, you selfish bitch." Zoro hissed. The mother and father took several steps back, faces pale. Zoro turned on heel, and walked back over to Koushirou.  
"I'm gonna go look for Luffy." he said, pushing down his anger. "Can you give me the address of where Ace is staying?" Koushirou blinked, and nodded slowly.

* * *

Ace sat in his room, sulking, just as he had done every day since he'd been brought to this house. The couple who had taken him in had been more than accommodating, having no children of their own and no parenting experience. They would try to keep him as comfortable as possible. They gave him the guest room, and tried to convince him that things would be okay, telling him that he'd be able to see Luffy on weekends. The wife was cheerful and tried to comfort Ace, but he never let her, preferring to be alone. The husband was friendly, always trying to get Ace interested in something to get his mind off things, but it never worked. Ace barely spoke to them, but the couple was convinced that if they tried hard enough, Ace would eventually open up to them.

There was a knock on his door, and it opened a crack.

"Ace? Do you want a snack? I made cookies. Do you want some?" the wife asked softly, with a warm smile. Ace didn't even bother looking at her.

"I don't want any. Go away." he said bluntly. He heard her sigh, and the door shut. Ace looked to the door and glared at it as her footsteps grew distant.

Why did he have to be here? He hated it. He hated that he didn't have Luffy with him. How was Luffy doing? Was he okay? What were the people like that he had to live with? Were they being mean to Luffy? If they were, he'd beat them up.

The doorbell rang, and he heard the husband rush to the door, saying 'Just a moment please.' rather loudly. Ace peered out his window, to the entrance to the house. It was that green haired man. He had been at Mom's funeral. He had been talking to Grandpa when Ace had rushed up to him and asked if he was going to be separated from Luffy. He stared at the man, and after a while, decided that the man had really dumb hair. Why was it green? With a huff, he turned away from the window, and exited his room, going down the hall.

The husband opened the door, and looked surprised at the man standing before him.

"Hello. I'm Detective Roronoa."

"Ah, you were at Kuina's funeral, right?" he asked, recognizing the green haired man. Zoro nodded.

"Have you seen Luffy today?" he asked, getting straight to the point. The man frowned, and shook his head.

"No, I haven't. Have you seen him today?" he asked, looking to his wife who had come to the door as well. She shook her head.

"Why, has something happened to him?" she asked, concerned. Zoro sighed, and nodded.

"He's actually gone missing." he said quietly.

"Missing?!" the couple exclaimed in unison.

"Yeah. Just today. They didn't notice he was gone until noon today. We think he might have tried to come and see Ace." he explained. The two exchanged a worried look.

"That's terrible..." the wife said softly.

"Luffy's missing?" a voice asked. The three adults turned to look at Ace, standing in the hallway. But Ace wasn't looking at the couple - he was looking straight at Zoro.

"Ace, honey, go up to your room. Everything's fine." the wife cooed, but Ace ignored her completely.

"Luffy's missing?" he asked again, and Zoro nodded. Worry and fear flashed across Ace's face.

"Do you have any idea where he might have gone if not here?" Zoro asked the boy.

"He... He doesn't know where I am now, so he probably tried to go back home. Where we lived before now." Ace said quietly.

"Where Kuina lived? But that's all the way across town!" the woman exclaimed.

There was a beat of silence until, "I want to help look for Luffy." Ace demanded.

Zoro looked at Ace, and Ace glared back defiantly. Ace was distrustful of this strange, green haired man, but he was determined to find Luffy. It was his duty as an older brother to protect Luffy, after all. Zoro seemed to understand.

"Alright, let's go." he said. The couple looked at him, surprised. "Luffy is more likely to go with you when we find him, don't you think?" he asked, looking at Ace.

"Detective Roronoa, I don't think-" the man began, but stopped when Ace came to the door, and put on his shoes, and went to stand by Zoro.

"Are you sure this is alright? What if Ace gets lost too?" the wife asked, flustered.

"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him." Zoro promised. "I'll have him home before dark." he said, and with that, he left, Ace walking at his side.

The two made their way across town, calling for Luffy all the while. Zoro would occasionally stop by at a shop that had a good view of the road, and show a picture of Luffy, and ask if anyone had seen him. So far, none had.

An hour into their search, Zoro got a text from Pell saying that they were asking around the area of where they used to live in West Blue, and so far, they'd gotten nothing. Zoro sent a text back, thanking him, and asking that he be notified if someone had seen Luffy.

Zoro and Ace searched and searched, going up and down streets, in and out of alleyways, across bridges, and up and down stairs. They checked every park they passed, and yet, there was no sign of the boy.

"How the hell have we not found him yet?" Zoro growled, kicking an empty soda can down the street. Ace glared up at the man, and the man glared back. "What?" he demanded.

"He probably got lost on his way. He's only three. There's no way he could get home from across town on his own." Ace muttered, looking down at the ground. Zoro sighed.

"You're probably right." he said. He texted Chaka, asking that instead of the West Blue area, they search more towards South Blue. "Alright, next stop, North Blue." Zoro said. Ace obediently followed.

* * *

They looked up and down every street between East Blue and North Blue, and there was still no sign of Luffy. Trepidation was slowly growing in Zoro's gut. What if they didn't find the kid? Had he been kidnapped after he ran away? It was possible, wasn't it? Zoro sighed, and looked around. They were approaching a park, and he glanced down to Ace. Ace met his eyes, and nodded. It was worth a try. They walked through the gate, and Ace stopped short when he laid eyes on the small figure sitting all alone on a bench, a too-big straw hat on his head.

"Luffy!" Ace yelled, running over. Luffy's head snapped up at Ace's voice, and turned towards it. Zoro could see the tear streaks running down his face.

"ACE!" Luffy cried, running towards his brother. They met somewhere in the middle, Luffy clinging to Ace and crying.

"You idiot. What did you think you were doing, disappearing like that?!" Ace demanded, arms wrapped around Luffy in a firm embrace.

"'M sorry!" Luffy sniffled into Ace's shirt. "I jus' wanted to g-go home. I don' wanna live with Aunty anymore. She's mean an' she yells 'lot."

Ace's grip tightened around Luffy, and he let his brother sob quietly into his shirt. Zoro hung back, not wanting to intrude on the moment.

"Stop crying, idiot." Ace muttered, patting Luffy comfortingly. Zoro smiled slightly at the scene, and walked out of earshot to make a phone call.

Taking this opportunity, Ace grabbed Luffy's hand, and quietly ran out of the park. As if he was going to let the two of them be separated again.

The other end rang once, before Koushirou picked up.

"Zoro-kun?"

"Yeah, hey, I found him." Zoro said. He could hear the audible sigh of relief on the other end.

"Thank god..." Koushirou breathed.

"I'm about to head back with them-"

"No, no, it's fine. Just tell me where you are, and I'll come by to pick the two of you up."

"Three of us, actually. I borrowed Ace to find Luffy."

"Ah, alright. The three of you, then. Where are you?"

"Park in North Blue. There's a McDonald's across the street, and a pharmacy next to that."

"Alright, I'll be there in ten minutes. Thank you so much, Zoro-kun."

"No problem." Zoro replied with a grin, and hung up, pocketing his phone.

He turned back to Ace and Luffy, to tell them that their grandpa was on his way, only to find that they weren't there. He froze, and looked around. "What. The. Fuck?!" he growled, running to where Ace and Luffy had been. He turned, looking around him frantically for any sign of the two brats. He caught sight of the two between the trunks of two trees as they ran down the street on the other side of the park. "HEY! STOP!" he yelled, running after them. He wasn't about to lose these two brats after he'd just managed to find one of them.

The crowds on the street parted for the man, but he nearly lost sight of the kids in the sea of adults. Hand in hand, they ran down the street, and turned, running down the stairs leading to the bank of a river. They ran along the grass and gravel, Zoro chasing after them.

"Oi! Where the hell do you think you're going?!" he yelled, grabbing hold of Luffy's arm, effectively stopping them.

"Let go!" Luffy screamed, flailing. Zoro huffed, keeping his hold on the boy.

"And what? Let the two of you run off to who knows where?" he asked angrily.

"Get your hands off of my brother!" Ace yelled, picking up a metal pipe off the river bank and swinging it at Zoro's legs. He hit Zoro's shin, and despite it being swung by a four year old, it still hurt like hell. From the momentary shock, he let go of Luffy's arm, and the young boy ran to Ace, and stood behind him. Ace shielded Luffy with his body, keeping his eyes on Zoro, the pipe at the ready.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Zoro demanded, glaring down at Ace. Ace glared back, his anger burning in his eyes.

"I'm not letting you take him back." Ace said. "Not when it means being split up again."

Zoro sighed, and ran his hand through his hair.

"Listen Ace,-"

"No!" Ace yelled. "I'm not letting us get separated again!" And with that, Ace ran towards Zoro, the pipe raised, fully intending to do whatever he had to to keep Luffy safe and with him. Zoro dodged, and grabbed the pipe as it swung down. Ace tried to jerk the pipe out of his grasp, but Zoro kept a firm hold on it. He yanked the pipe, and grabbed hold of Ace instead.

This time, it was Luffy who ran towards Zoro. He was empty handed, but he began hitting Zoro with his small fists.

"No!" Luffy yelled, hitting the man as hard as he could. "Let go of Ace!" Zoro frowned, looking at the boy, while keeping his grip on the struggling older brother. "Let him go!" Luffy continued. "You can't take him! You can't take us back! I don' wanna be split up again! 'M not gonna go back to Aunty's. You can't make me! Let go!"

"We're not gonna be split up! I'm not gonna let it happen! No matter what, I've got to stay with Luffy!" Ace yelled, trying to pull his arm away desperately. He refused to let Luffy be taken back to the mean aunty, and there was no way he was going back to that overly sweet couple either.

"Please! We can't go back! I don' wanna lose Ace! I already lost Mom!" Luffy cried, tears in his eyes. Zoro froze. He knew it was unfair to the two boys. They had lost their father before they could know him, and they'd just lost their mom, and they were about to lose each other. It was only natural that they were desperate to hang on to the family they had left. Koushirou had said that there was no other option, and Zoro understood that. But seeing the terror of being separated and the innocent desperation in their eyes, Zoro couldn't help but-

"Hey." The sudden change in his voice made both boys look at Zoro questioningly, momentarily stopping their struggling. "Do you want to come live with me?" he asked quietly. They stared at him, curiosity in Luffy's eyes, and suspicion in Ace's. "Both of you. Just for a while."

"Does that mean we can stay together?" Ace asked, the first signs of hope showing in his eyes. Zoro nodded.

"Really?" Luffy asked, eyes widening. "We don't have to be split up?"

"Yup. Both of you can come stay with me." Zoro said with another nod. His apartment was small, not exactly child-proof, and he was living there under the condition that he was living alone. But both he and the two boys had just lost Kuina - their mother, and his best friend. Despite not having much of a relationship with these kids prior to Kuina's death, something made him want to protect them and keep them together for as long as possible.

Luffy looked up at Ace hopefully.

"Can we, Ace?" Luffy asked quietly. Ace looked at Zoro.

"Why?" he demanded. Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"Why what?"

"Why do you wanna let us live with you?" Ace asked, and Zoro thought about it.

"Because I don't think you two should be separated. And since I'm apparently the only one who's capable of doing that, I think it's my responsibility, as your mom's best friend, to do so." he said. Ace stared at him some more. And then...

"Okay."

"What?"

"Okay, we'll live with you." Ace muttered. Luffy's eyes lit up, and Zoro smirked.

"Alright, lemme make a phone call. Don't go running off this time, you brats." he said, pulling out his phone. Ace 'hmph'ed and sat down on the river bank, Luffy doing the same. Zoro joined them, and dialed Koushirou's number.

"Zoro-kun? Where are you? Did you get lost?" Koushirou answered, his voice sounding concerned. Zoro made a face.

"No! I had to chase down the br-...the kids. But there's been a slight change in location, and I need to talk to you about something."

* * *

A/N: So much for regular updates. Ahahaha...aha...haaa... Anyway, I think I'm finally getting the hang of this. Sort of. Maybe. Not really.

Apparently, there are 47 people following this story. I seriously cannot believe it. To me, having 8 followers was intimidating, and now there are 47 of you who think this is worth following. I literally cannot express my thanks to you guys.

As always, reviews are incredibly appreciated. Feedback, telling me what you liked, or what you'd like to see. Anything and everything is welcome!


	5. Chapter 5: The Beginning

"You want to what?" Koushirou asked, dumbfounded.

"I want to take the kids in." Zoro repeated, not breaking eye contact. "Just for a while. If you send them back to their families, they're only gonna try something like this again."

"But I can't expect you to take both of them." Koushirou said with a frown.

"They miss their mom. And they miss each other. They shouldn't have to be apart after what they've already been through. They need to be together." Zoro pressed. Koushirou looked at him, conflicted. The sensei agreed fullheartedly that Luffy and Ace should stay together. It was very kind that Zoro was offering to take them both in, but Koushirou was not sure if Zoro would be able to take care of two children. The man had no parenting experience whatsoever after all, and to expect a man with a full time job as a police officer to be able to be a first time father -a single one at that- was a bit of a stretch, even if it would be for a time.

"Zoro-kun..."

"Please, Koushirou, let me do this." Zoro said determinedly. Koushirou's thoughtful frown deepened, and he was silent for several long moments.

"I agree with you that they ought to be together after the passing of their mother. But do you think yourself capable of taking care of two children? As far as I know, you do not have much experience with child rearing. It will not be easy."

"I...can't say I'll do a perfect job of taking care of them." Zoro said slowly. "But I _can_ say that I'm going to give it my all." Koushirou considered Zoro's words carefully.

"Alright, Zoro-kun." Koushirou began with a small smile. "I will gratefully accept your offer. Just for a few weeks, the boys will stay with you." Koushirou said, bowing in thanks. Zoro let out a soft sigh in relief and nodded.

"Of course. Thank you, Koushirou."

"But please understand, Zoro-kun, that taking care of children - Luffy and Ace, especially - is no easy task. It is a tremendous responsibility." Koushirou added quietly.

"I know." Zoro said solemnly, nodding. Koushirou smiled slightly, and put a hand on Zoro's shoulder.

"I'm counting on you, Zoro-kun. Thank you." Koushirou said gratefully. Zoro returned his smile, and nodded. Zoro looked towards Luffy and Ace who were standing at the edge of the river, throwing rocks into the water.

"Hey! You two! We're leaving!" he called. Luffy and Ace looked to him, got up, and made their way over.

"Are we gonna stay with you?" Ace demanded immediately. Zoro nodded.

"Yeah, you are."

"Together?" Luffy asked eagerly, and Zoro nodded again.

"Together." he confirmed. A wide grin stretched across Luffy's face, and he leapt onto Zoro's leg, wrapping his arms tightly around it. Zoro looked down at Luffy, then to Ace, who had a look of relief on his face. Zoro smirked and let out a soft sigh. "Alright, brats. Let's go home."

* * *

Koushirou dropped the three of them off in front of the Baratie, promising to stop by later with some of the boys' belongings. Zoro watched Luffy enthusiastically wave goodbye to Koushirou while Ace stood, arms crossed over his chest. He took a breath, and let it out. Despite having gotten Koushirou's approval of his taking in Luffy and Ace, he'd have to talk to Zeff about letting the two boys live with him. He looked uneasily to the door of the restaurant. The agreement had been that Zoro was living alone. He wasn't sure how okay Zeff would be with a couple of rowdy boys living above the Baratie.

But before he could fret over it any more, a loud crash accompanied by Zeff's voice cursing cut through his thoughts.

"Get the fuck out, shit-for-brains!" Zeff yelled angrily.

"Go to hell!" an unfamiliar voice yelled back. There was more crashing and more cursing. Quickly, Zoro turned to Ace.

"Stay here, keep an eye on Luffy. I'll be back in a minute." he said. Ace looked up at him, and nodded slowly, and grabbed Luffy by the wrist, and pulled him close, putting himself between Luffy and the doorway. Zoro nodded approvingly, and opened the door.  
Zeff stood leaning against the counter, arms crossed, and an irritated expression on his face. Well, he looked more irritated than he usually did, anyway. A rather tall, lithe blond stood facing the chef, his back to Zoro. Judging by the various things scattered on the ground by Zeff, the blond man had been throwing things. Zoro raised an eyebrow. Just who the hell did this guy think he was?

"Sir, I need you to calm down." he said loudly, approaching the blond man. The man whipped around and glared at him. Zoro was a bit surprised at the intensity of the man's glare, but what really caught his attention was the man's strange eyebrows. Or rather, eyebrow. The left side of his face was hidden by his hair, but the eyebrow that was visible was curled at the end. How did that even work?

"Fuck off. This is none of your damn business." the blond spat, and Zoro refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Sir, if you don't calm down, I'm going to have to have you leave this establishment." Zoro droned monotonously. The blond man bristled.

"Just who the fuck do you think you _are_?" he demanded.

"Oi-" Zeff growled.

"Shut the fuck up, old man." the man hissed, and threw a swift kick at Zeff. Before Zoro could even call out in protest, Zeff had side stepped, and dodged the kick completely.

"HEY!" Zoro yelled, thoroughly pissed off. He grabbed the blonde's shoulder, and yanked him back, to which the man responded with another kick that connected solidly with Zoro's shin. He cursed - apparently, his shins were a favorite target of kids and adults alike today.

Not about to let the blond get away with it, before the man could pull back, Zoro grabbed the arm that the man had extended slightly to counterbalance his attack, and yanked on it, twisting the arm and holding it behind the man's back.

Surprised by the sudden counter, the man yelped, and in his stunned state, was shoved face first into the ground, Zoro keeping a firm grip on the man's arm as he pinned him to the ground.

"That's who I was telling you about, you fucking idiot." Zeff said to the man with an unimpressed quirk of his brow.

"You could have told me he's not as much as a useless piece of shit as you, damn geezer." the man spat.

"I didn't think you'd go picking a fight this early on. Apparently, you're as stupid as ever, little eggplant."

Zoro looked down at the man, before looking questioningly up at Zeff.

"You know him?" he asked. Zeff shrugged.

"I guess you could say that." he said nonchalantly. Zoro could hear the man on the ground let out an indignant 'hmph'. "He's more or less my son. Sanji."

Zoro's eyebrows rose, and he let go of the man's arm.

"You should have said something instead of letting me just pin him to the ground like that." he muttered to Zeff, stepping away from the man. Zeff snorted.

"Like what? 'Don't beat his ass, he's my son.'? 'Don't be too harsh, he's a weakling.'? He threw a tantrum, and he got the consequences." he said with a laugh. Zoro couldn't help but crack a smirk, while Sanji dusted himself off.

"Fuck you, shit geezer."

"I thought any kid of yours would be tougher to beat than this weak curlycue." Zoro said to Zeff. Sanji bristled, and landed a solid kick to Zoro's side, sending the man stumbling backwards.

"Who the fuck are you calling weak, you shitty piece of moss?" Sanji growled, lowering his leg. Zoro rubbed his side. From the single kick, he knew he had been wrong to call the blond weak. The kick had been powerful, but it was clear that not all of Sanji's strength was put into it. The accuracy and precision of the kick, not to mention the speed, told Zoro that Sanji was not new to his fighting style.

"The punk speaks the truth, little eggplant." Zeff said chuckling.

"Shut the fuck up, old man." Sanji grunted."So you're the one living upstairs, then? You fucking moss head."

"What's it to you, curlybrow?" Zoro demanded, glaring back at the man unimpressed.

"The little shit wants to move back in." Zeff said with a sigh.

"Fuck you, shit geezer." the blond huffed angrily, and stomped to the door. He kicked it open and froze when he looked down to see the two kids standing in front of the restaurant.

Ace took a defensive stance immediately, tensing. As far as he could tell, this man was angry and violent. There was no way he was going to let the man hurt Luffy.

Luffy on the other hand, ignored Sanji completely, and instead opted to peer around Ace and past Sanji.

"Zoro, you live in a restaurant? That's so cool!" he exclaimed, grinning at the idea of food and food and food and more food.

"And may I ask who these are?" Zeff asked slowly, his gaze falling on Zoro. The detective fidgeted, and before he could reply, Luffy answered for him.

"I'm Luffy. And this is my brother, Ace. We're gonna live with Zoro and we don' hafta be separated!" he chirped happily. Zeff's eyebrows rose.

"Is that so?" he asked, looking at Luffy, who nodded enthusiastically. Zeff looked at Zoro again.

"Yup!" Luffy went on, obliviously. "He asked to let us stay together, 'cause he was mom's friend, an' Gran'pa let him." His stomach growled, and he whined. "Zoro, I'm hungry! Can we eat?"

Zeff and Sanji's gaze fell on Zoro, who sighed, and scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, uh, I kinda have some things I need to talk to you about." Zoro said to Zeff. The owner looked from Zoro to the two boys.

"Alright." he grunted, and looked to Sanji. "Oi, little eggplant-"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Sanji muttered. He looked down at the kids. "Oi. Come in. I'll make you something to eat while the shit geezer talks to the moss head." he said, nodding for the two to go inside. Luffy cheered, and Ace regarded Sanji carefully, before dragging Luffy behind him as he went inside. He hopped up onto the chair in front of the counter, and Luffy followed in suit, and had a little trouble getting up, but he managed it eventually.

"Do you live here too?" Luffy asked, as Sanji walked past, going behind the counter. Sanji looked at him.

"Used to." he said. Luffy hummed thoughtfully.

"That's kinda cool." the boy said after a while. He looked at Ace. "Don'cha think so too, Ace?"

"I guess." his brother replied, disinterested. Sanji smirked as he turned around, going through the fridge. He pulled out leftover rice, ham, eggs, and onions, deciding to make fried rice, before returning to the stove. Luffy got up on his knees, and peered forward, suddenly interested at the sight of food. Even Ace was a considerable amount more attentive than before. Sanji began by scrambling the eggs. Keeping the fire on the stove low, he cut the ham into bite sized pieces, and diced the onion as well. Done with the eggs, he put them to the side, and began sauteing the onions and browning the ham on another burner. He glanced up every so often, and each time, found Luffy and Ace positively captivated by his flurry of movements as he went from one thing to the next. He began making his movements a great deal more flamboyant, as giving customers a good performance was just as important as making a quality meal.

While Ace and Luffy were preoccupied by Sanji's cooking, Zeff walked to the back corner of the restaurant, motioning for Zoro to follow him. Zoro obliged, and they sat down at a table.

"So, care to explain yourself?" Zeff asked, voice low. Zoro took a quiet deep breath, and began telling Zeff everything from Kuina's death, to Luffy's escape from his aunt's house, to the chase through town, to getting permission from Koushirou to take the boys for a while. At the end of his story, he looked up uneasily at Zeff.

"So what you're saying is... you expect me to allow you to have a couple of noisy-ass kids live above my restaurant, just because they don't want to be separated?" Zeff asked, his tone unimpressed as ever. Zoro sighed.

"At least give me enough time to find somewhere else to live. A month, tops." he asked. Zeff rolled his eyes.

"What the hell are you talking about? What other kind of place is gonna be tolerant enough to have a dumbass like you take care of two traumatized kids?" he grunted. "Your rent is gonna go up, of course." Zoro's eyes widened.

"Seriously?"

"I'm not letting you use twice the water and electricity for free just because you're taking on a couple of brats." Zeff said bluntly.

"No! I mean... We can stay?"

"You're such a dense dipshit, I worry the effect you'll have on the kids." Zeff sighed, getting up. "_Yes_, you idiot, you can stay." he muttered. Zoro stared at him, and let out a long quiet sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Zeff."

"Che. Don't thank me, punk. It's weird coming from you."

When Zeff began heading over to the counter, Sanji toned down his unnecessary movements, and shut off the stove. He prepared to let Zeff take over, cleaned up, and just as Zeff came around the counter, he walked out from behind it, walking towards the door.

"Finish the fried rice for them, will you?" he called over his shoulder.

"Oi, little eggplant, where the hell do you think you're going?" Zeff demanded. Sanji stopped in his tracks, and glanced over to him.

"To find somewhere to stay, since my shitty old man isn't willing to let me stay here." he said, shrugging. Zeff rolled his eyes.

"Ever the drama queen. I never said you couldn't stay here - I said you couldn't stay upstairs because I've got another moron occupying that space already. You can have the guest room." he said. Sanji's eyebrow rose.

"Okay, what's the catch?"

"That you work here, of course." Zeff grunted. "I'm not gonna let you sit on your ass all day doing nothing."

"That's not much of a drawback." he muttered.

"What was that, little eggplant?" Zeff asked looking at him with a quirked eyebrow.

"I said 'Fuck you, that's a shitty deal.', old man. Is your hearing starting to go already?" Sanji snarled, going back to the counter and turning on the burners. Zeff smirked, and took the wooden spatula.

"Take it or leave it, you dumbass." he said, switching spots with Sanji.

"Che. Who'd want to stay here with you, anyway?" Sanji muttered, heading to the back kitchen. Zeff stepped in, combining the ingredients into a large wok. He mixed it evenly, and before long, two large steaming plates of fried rice sat before the two boys.

"Eat up, brats." Zeff said, handing them spoons. They quickly began scarfing down the food with a muffled 'thank you'.

Zoro took a seat next to them, leaning back in his chair. Sanji returned, looked to Zoro, and glared at him.

"I didn't make any for you." he said bluntly. Zoro stared blankly at him.

"I didn't ask for you to." he countered.

"Good, because you're not getting any." Sanji said haughtily.

Zeff rolled his eyes at the childish conversation going back and forth between the two men, and he silently went to the fridge to retrieve drinks. He wasn't about to get involved with these two idiots.

"I bet your food is shitty anyway." Zoro said with a shrug.

"The fuck did you just say?" Sanji demanded. Zoro held Sanji's gaze unfalteringly. "I'm gonna make you take back those words one of these days, shitty marimo." he growled. Zoro chuckled.

"I'd like to see you try."

"Both of you are literal five year olds." Zeff sighed, shaking his head as he handed Zoro a can of beer and put cups of ice water in front of the two boys. Zoro nodded his thanks, and Sanji 'hmph'ed.

Zeff looked to Ace and Luffy, who were halfway done with their plates.

"So whad'ya think of the little eggplant's fried rice?" he asked. Luffy swallowed, and grinned up at Zeff, bits of rice still on his face.

"'S real good!" he said. Ace nodded slightly in agreement. Sanji smirked to himself.

"You think so, huh?" Zeff said, contemplatively looking over at his son, and laughed. "Try my fried rice and you'll take it back."

"Go to hell, old man!" Sanji growled. "Your fried rice is nothing like mine."

"Yeah, 'cause it tastes like shit." Zeff said with a smirk. Sanji flipped him off.

"Your fried rice isn't something you should be serving to paying customers, anyway. It's got too much of that... 'home-y' flavor." he muttered.

"Aw, little eggplant, are you saying my fried rice reminds you of home? I'm touched." Zeff said sarcastically. Sanji just rolled his eyes, while Zeff went to the back kitchens chuckling.

After a moment or two of silence, Sanji looked at the two kids who were staring right back at him.

"Do your parents cook for you a lot?" Sanji asked, a small smile coming to his face. Zoro froze, and Luffy looked up at him.

"Mom died. An' I don' have a dad." he said quietly. Sanji's smile faltered, and dropped, and Ace glared up at the man, while Zoro looked at Sanji disapprovingly, before frowning, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Shit. Sorry." Sanji apologized quietly. Luffy shrugged, the previously light mood gone from the room.

The door to the restaurant opened, and five heads turned to look. Koushirou peeked in.

"Koushiriou, come in, please." Zoro said.

"Grandpa!" Luffy exclaimed happily, forgetting the conversation completely, and hopped down from the chair and ran over to Koushirou. The man smiled, and hugged Luffy.

"Hello, Luffy. Ace. Zoro-kun." he greeted in turn. Ace looked over at him, and it was clear from his expression that he was still felt a little uneasy around Koushirou and the fact that he had tried to separate the two of them. Zoro offered a small smile. "I hope I'm not intruding. I've brought some of their things." Koushirou said, putting a duffel bag on a nearby chair.

"Oh, thanks. You didn't have to rush." Zoro said, getting up and walking over.

"I didn't want to inconvenience you more than I already am." Koushirou said in explanation. Zoro shook his head.

"It's not an inconvenience at all. But thanks." he said, picking up the bag. It was heavier than it looked. Shouldering it, he took it to the back and left it by the stairs leading up to the apartment. By the time he returned, Koushirou had taken a seat next to Luffy, and Zeff stood by the counter, talking to Koushirou about the boys. Sanji was nowhere to be seen, and Zoro assumed he had gone to the back kitchen or maybe Zeff's guest room.

"Who's ready for dessert?" Sanji's voice called from the back as he emerged from the kitchen. He held a strange looking plate of fruit. Plastic straws held it together, and it was obviously put together to make it look like something, but Zoro couldn't see what it was until Sanji put the plate on the table, picked up the fruit, and stood it up on the plate.

Apples, oranges, cantaloupes, and melons had been cut into various sized cubes and rectangles, and put together to make a foot tall fruit robot. It looked like something out of a mecha anime. Luffy and Ace's eyes lit up, widening in excited amazement.

"WOAH!"

"THAT'S SO COOL!"

"IT'S A ROBOT!"

"IT'S MADE OF FRUIT BUT IT LOOKS LIKE A ROBOT!"

"IT'S A FRUIT ROBOT!"

While the children were distracted, Zoro quietly asked for Koushirou to join him outside, and the two men silently slipped from the restaurant.

"Koushirou, what do the kids know about their father?" Zoro asked, what Luffy had said earlier bothered him. Koushirou's expression grew pained.

"Kuina...told them that their father passed away. She didn't want them thinking he abandoned them." he replied, his voice just as small. "I ask that you not say anything to make them think any different, Zoro-kun."

"Yeah, of course. I just..." Zoro sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Has he been in contact at all?" Koushirou shook his head slowly.

"He hasn't contacted anyone that we know of since he left when Luffy was born. We have no idea on his whereabouts or anything at all." the sensei said regretfully. Zoro sighed again, and nodded.

"Right. Well, thanks for letting me know."

"Not at all. Thank you." Koushirou said, a sad smile on his lips now. "For doing this for them, I mean." He looked towards Ace and Luffy, a wistful look on his face. "I am sure Kuina appreciates what you're doing as well." Zoro swallowed, and nodded once. Koushirou cleared his throat, and gave a small smile. "I should get going."

"Okay. Thanks for dropping their stuff off." Zoro thanked him again, and Koushirou smiled, before looking to Luffy and Ace again.

"I'm going now. You two be good for Zoro-kun, alright?"

"Okay!" Luffy yelled happily, mouth stuffed with fruit.

"'Kay." Ace muttered, nibbling on a piece of melon. Koushirou nodded, before bowing and taking his leave.

"Alright," Zoro sighed, going back inside. "I think we need to call it a night. C'mon you two, head upstairs." he said, nodding towards the staircase in the back. Luffy whined, but complied as Ace led the way. Zoro followed behind them, bidding Zeff goodnight.

"Oi, Zoro." Zeff grunted. Zoro stopped mid-step, and leaned back to look at Zeff. "Bring your kids down here for meals, got it?"

"What? Zeff, you don't have to-"

"I'm not doing this for you, shit head. I don't trust you to feed those kids properly. You don't even feed yourself properly."

Zoro smiled.

"Got it. Thanks, owner." he said, continuing on his way. He heard Zeff huff and mutter something about 'stupidly irresponsible young people these days'. Zoro smiled to himself, and jogged up the stairs to the apartment. Ace stood at the door, arms crossed, waiting impatiently, while Luffy rocked back and forth, excited.

"Alright." Zoro looked down at Luffy and Ace. "From today, this is your new home." he said. Luffy smiled up at him, and Zoro could have sworn that he saw Ace smile too.

* * *

A/N: wow this chapter was unexpectedly rEALLY LATE. I'm sorry. I'm just really bad at pacing my writing. I tried to write a longer chapter this time, since I made you guys wait so damn long (its been over a month and I'm sorry). I'm not too sure about my characterization(?) of Zeff, even though my beta said it was fine. I've never actually written Zeff for long scenes or in a big role like this, so...yeah... And finally, Sanji makes his first appearance! Yay!...? To be honest, I'm never very sure how to write any character, and I've been having some trouble with Sanji as of late, so I hope you forgive me if he's OOC or weird or just not...Sanji.

Since we're approaching the end of the school year (and since I have finals), I don't think I'll be able to get a new chapter up before school lets out (that's like, three weeks from now) so please be patient with me.

I want to thank everyone who's been reviewing and favoriting and following this stupid story of mine. It's so amazing to get feedback from people I don't even know, but like my writing anyway. It just gives me a million warm happy feelings I don't know what to do with. Also, there've been a bunch of people asking me if I have a tumblr and/or twitter, so I guess there might be more of you interested? I go by the exact same username as here on both sites. Links will be on my profile page if you need. I should warn you that I don't update my tumblr as often as I should, since it's actually a side blog.

Anyway, enough from me, thank you so much for reading!


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